Representing the 17th District of New York

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Lowey Response to Trump’s State of the Union

January 30, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY17/Rockland-Westchester), Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement in response to President Trump’s first State of the Union address:

“Amid the accelerating Russia investigation and impasse over the federal budget, President Trump tonight delivered his first State of the Union address.

“These speeches have traditionally offered the president of the United States an opportunity to present a positive vision for America, reach beyond their own party and ideology, and inspire the American people to harness the spirit of this great nation in pursuit of lasting, positive change. I believe President Trump’s speech missed the mark.

“While more measured in tone than we are accustomed to, President Trump’s speech was out of step with the character of our country and the priorities of the majority of the American people.

“The president spoke about national security, yet he continues to double down on his boondoggle border wall. Not only are there better ways to secure the border, there are better ways to spend $20 billion that would support the health of our families, the education of our children, and the growth of our economy.

“The president spoke about the successes of his Administration, yet even with unified control of government, Republicans have failed to chart a course to keep the government open, governing instead by short-term measures that do immeasurable damage to our military and to every other aspect of the federal government. It’s time for the president to get serious and show us a real path forward to fund both the defense of our nation and the investments at home that make this the greatest nation on Earth.

“The president spoke about immigration reform, yet his immigration proposal is a cruel and poisonous attempt to appease the anti-immigration hardliners in his party and to extract concessions while holding hostage the fate of millions of Dreamers who have made their lives in the United States. Protecting these young men and women from deportation is a moral obligation, and the president hasn’t kept his word to support bipartisan immigration reform that protects them. There were lots of Dreamers in the audience tonight who deserve this protection now, including my guest, Hugo Alexander Acosta Mazariego, a Dreamer from Pearl River, New York.

“The American people want Congress and the Administration to work together, Democrats and Republicans, to responsibly fund the government and to find common-sense solutions to the short- and long-term challenges our country faces, from funding community health centers to fighting the opioid epidemic to revitalizing our infrastructure. Tonight, President Trump failed to reassure the American people that he is willing to meet these responsibilities in a responsible, bipartisan way.”